The Australian Government realises that people aged 30 and over and doing an Apprenticeship are likely to have financial responsibilities such as a mortgage, a loan or their children’s school fees to manage. This can be difficult, but to help make sure you can still train for the career you want, the Australian Government has introduced the Support for Mid-Career Apprentices initiative.
What is the Support for Mid-Career Apprentices Initiative?
The Support for Mid-Career Apprentices is a direct payment to either an employer or Australian Apprentice aged 30 and over when the apprentice starts their Trade Apprenticeship. The fortnightly payments can subsidise apprenticeship wages by up to $13,000 over the first two years of an Apprenticeship.
The support for Mid-Career Apprentices payment is paid either directly to you, the Australian Apprentice, to boost your wage, or to your employer to subsidise wage costs.
Am I Eligible?
You or your employer may be eligible to receive the Support for Mid-Career Apprentices payment if you are aged 30 and over, and have started an Australian Apprenticeship at a Certificate III or IV level in a trade experiencing a skills shortage. If you started an eligible Australian Apprenticeship on or after 1 July 2007 you will be required to undertake a Recognition of Prior Learning assessment in order to recognise skills you may already have.
What if I began my eligible Australian Apprenticeship before 1 July 2007?
If you are an Apprentice in the first or second year of an eligible Australian Apprenticeship, you or your employer may receive the payments from 1 July 2007 until the end of the second year of your training.
How Much is the Payment?
The amount paid is $150 per week ($7,800 per annum) in the first year of your Apprenticeship and $100 per week ($5,200 per annum) in the second year.
You or your employer will be able to apply for this wage subsidy through your Australian Apprenticeships Centre. Payments will be made fortnightly via direct credit into a nominated bank account.
Who Will Get the Payment?
For you, as the Apprentice, to receive the payment directly you must be employed under an industrial arrangement that provides for an adult Apprentice to be paid at a junior apprenticeship wage rate.
For your employer to receive the payment to subsidise the wage you are paid you, as their Apprentice, must be employed under an industrial arrangement where your employer is required to either:
- Maintain the existing (adult) wage for current employees who become Apprentices; or
- Pay current or new employees an adult Apprenticeship rate.